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The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, announces the addition of Ocala Civic Theatre’s “Beauty and the Beast” costumes to the “Finding Beauty” exhibition.

A unique collaboration between the Appleton and OCT, “Finding Beauty” merges costume drawings and more from the theatre’s production of “Beauty and the Beast” with works from the Appleton collection that inspired them. After a highly successful run of performances, “Beauty and the Beast” has come to a close and a selection of costumes are now on view in the museum’s “Finding Beauty” galleries.

The intricate and thoughtfully designed costumes are the masterpieces of Eryn Brooks Brewer, OCT’s award-winning costume designer. Working closely with museum staff, Brooks Brewer gained inspiration from two- and three-dimensional Rococo-style art and objects in the collection. With the addition of the costumes to “Finding Beauty,” museum visitors are fully immersed in the creative design process from start to finish, seeing how a static object, such as a clock, can eventually become the costume for a living actor to magically transform into a character such as Cogsworth.

The exhibition also includes set photos, video, a touch table of fabrics and costume embellishments, a photo op with props, and more.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, the community is invited to a special Photo Op With Belle event, from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. There is no fee to pose with Princess Belle. Admission to the museum is free all day, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., as part of the monthly Free First Saturday program. The “Finding Beauty” exhibition is open through Jan. 15, 2023.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit